SUSPECT AT LARGE BETS POLICE THEY CAN’T GET 1,000 SHARES ON FACEBOOK, WOULD TURN HIMSELF IN AND BRING DONUTS
And they say there is no honor among thieves! No word on idiots, however. In the usual turn of events, police have to do a fair amount of flat footing to track down suspects who fail to turn themselves in for outstanding warrants. But this time the suspect was reeled in from a distance, using social media. Literally, a suspect turned himself in after losing a bet with Police. And, of course, the bet involved doughnuts. All of this took place in Redford Township in Michigan.
SUSPECT HAD BEEN TAUNTING POLICE OVER FACEBOOK FOR SOME TIME, BEFORE THROWING DOWN GAUNTLET AND LOSING
The suspect’s name is Michael Martin Zaydel who was wanted for several misdemeanors and suspicion of driving while intoxicated. For some reason Michael had been corresponding with police in Detroit’s suburb using Facebook. Does anyone think it’s a good idea to play around taunting the police who are looking to arrest you? One particularly noteworthy taunt from Michael came to police under the alias “Champagne Torino” in a private message:
“If you’re [sic] next post gets a thousand shares I’ll turn myself in along with a dozen doughnuts. And that’s a promise,” he wrote. “And I’ll pick up every piece of litter around all your public schools let’s see if you can get those shares.”
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POLICE WIN BET IN ONE HOUR, SUSPECT HONORS IT OVER A WEEK LATER, PLUS ONE BAGEL
Obviously, officers took him up on that bet — posting a screenshot of the message on the department’s Facebook page with a call for 1,000 shares and a little extra tongue-in-cheek but heartfelt urging: “Donuts!!!! He promised us donuts! You know how much we love Donuts!”
So it’s perhaps no surprise what happened next: 1,000 shares in a little over an hour. Two weeks later the shares went over 4,500.
“He may or may not be a man of his word,” cautioned one celebratory post published a mere hour and a half later. Still, the two officers who signed that post, Sgt. Duane Gregg and Officer Jennifer Mansfield, were certain it would only be a matter of time before they got Zaydel — whether or not he actually kept his promise to come in. “It is our experience everyone gets caught at some point. He has drawn a lot of attention to himself, and that makes it hard to hide from reality.”
WANTED NOTICE ENDS UP BEING MOOT, AS HONOR AMONG THIEF COMES TO FORE
More than a week passed, with no sign of Zaydel. It was so much time, in fact, That police had posted a wanted notice for him with his potential whereabouts (“possibly local donut shops,” they added hopefully). But then, shortly after, the unexpected happened.
“This evening at approximately 6:30 pm Michael Zaydel made good on his promise to turn himself in to RTPD for his outstanding warrants,” police posted. “He walked in on his own, and not only did he bring the donuts, he brought one bagel!”
Unfortunately for Michael, the treats could not save him from a jail cell. The department told NPR that Zaydel was consequently sentenced to serve time in county jail for 39 days — with an additional 30 possible if he doesn’t pay his court fees.
